The antidepressant activity and molecular mechanisms of Yueju Wan volatile oil were investigated. The Yueju Wan volatile oil was extracted by using supercritical CO_2. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) combined with network pharmacology identified 28 chemical constituents in Yueju Wan volatile oil, primarily terpenes and lactones. A total of 123 overlapping targets were associated with depression, including core targets of interleukin-1β(IL-1β), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3), and caspase-3(CASP3). These targets were mainly involved in the prolactin, advanced glycation end products/receptor(AGE/RAGE), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/Akt) signaling pathways. A reserpine-induced depression mouse model was established to evaluate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Yueju Wan volatile oil. The effects of Yueju Wan volatile oil on depression-like behavior in mice were evaluated by analyzing body mass, body temperature index, tail suspension immobility time, forced swimming immobility time, and sucrose preference. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining revealed neuronal protection of Yueju Wan volatile oil in the brain of mice. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) and Western blot were employed to detect the protein expression of AGEs, IL-1β, phosphorylated PI3K(p-PI3K), Akt, phosphorylated Akt(p-Akt), nuclear factor κB(NF-κB), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF). Behavioral evaluation showed that Yueju Wan volatile oil could effectively control the decline of body mass and body temperature of depressed mice, reduce tail suspension and swimming immobility time, and enhance their preference for sucrose. Histopathological examination showed that Yueju Wan volatile oil could alleviate the neuronal damage in CA1 and dentate gyrus(DG) of the hippocampus of mice. ELISA and Western blot results showed that Yueju Wan volatile oil could significantly increase the protein expression levels of PI3K, Akt, and BDNF and significantly decrease the protein expression levels of AGEs, IL-1β, p-PI3K, p-Akt, and NF-κB in the hippocampus of mice. Furthermore, the p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt ratios were significantly decreased at medium and high doses. These findings suggest that the aromatherapy of Yueju Wan volatile oil can significantly improve reserpine-induced depression-like behavior in mice, which may be related to reducing the expression of neuronal membrane protein AGEs, reducing the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt, inhibiting NF-κB entry into the nucleus, and alleviating the release of pro-inflammatory factors and nerve injury.
Animals ; Antidepressive Agents/chemistry* ; Mice ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/immunology* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/immunology* ; Oils, Volatile/chemistry* ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Depression/metabolism* ; Glycation End Products, Advanced/immunology* ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical effects of external fixation and minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO) after external fixation in treating open fractures of tibial shaft. METHODS: From January 2020 to June 2022, 151 patients with open fracture of tibial shaft treated with external fixation stenting were divided into external fixation group and combined group according to different surgical methods. There were 81 patients in external fixation group, including 48 males and 33 females, aged from 21 to 68 years old with an average of (42.58±7.44) years old;according to Gustilo classification, 49 patients with typeⅡ, 32 patients with type ⅢA;the time from injury to treatment ranged from 2.5 to 10 h with an average of (4.25±0.74) h;external fixed stenting was performed. There were 70 patients in combined group, including 42 males and 28 females, aged from 20 to 69 years old with an average of (41.39±7.02) years old;35 patients with type Ⅱ and 35 patients with type ⅢA according to Gustilo classification;the time from injury to treatment ranged from 3 to 9 h with an average of (4.31±0.85) h;MIPPO treatment was performed after external fixed stenting. The time of callus formation, fracture healing and complications were compared between two groups. Rasmussen score and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score were used to evaluate functional recovery of knee joint at 6 months after operation. RESULTS: Both groups were followed up for 6 to 13 months with an average of (10.17±2.33) months. The time of callus formation and fracture healing were (13.98±4.02) d and (70.26±12.15) d in combined group, and (18.56±4.37) d and (79.87±15.41) d in external fixation group, respectively. Combined group was better than external fixation group in the time of callus formation and fracture healing (P<0.05). At six months after operation, Rasmussen and HSS scores in combined group were (26.79±3.11) and (83.36±9.44), which were higher than those in external fixation group (24.51±4.63) and (79.63±8.46) (P<0.05). In external fixation group, there were 2 patients with incision infection, 2 patients with nail tract infection, 1 patient with stent loosening, fracture displacement, delayed union and malunion, and 1 patient with biocompatibility reaction in combined group, with statistical significance between two groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION MIPPO could accelerate callus formation and fracture healing, improve knee function, improve clinical effects and reduce complications in patients with open tibial shaft fractures after external and external fixation.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Tibial Fractures/physiopathology* ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Bone Plates ; External Fixators ; Fractures, Open/physiopathology* ; Stents ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of in vitro cultured calculus bovis (ICCB) on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI) and its mechanism. METHODS: A CIRI rat model and a cell model were induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in Sprague Dawley rats and oxygen glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) in BV2 cells, respectively. The CIRI rat model was evaluated using the modified neurological severity score (mNSS), brain water content, and cerebral infarction volume after 1.5 h of ischemia followed by 72 h of reperfusion. Histopathological changes in the cortex and hippocampal CA1 region were observed with hematoxylin and eosin staining. Microglial polarization and NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein (NLRP) 3 inflammasome expression in the cortex were examined by immunofluorescence. BV2 cell viability was measured via MTT assay after treatment with ICCB and Nigericin. The expressions of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 proteins and inflammatory cytokines were detected with Western blotting in OGD/R treated BV2 cells (0.5 h OGD+24 h reperfusion) and in cells pretreated with Nigericin for 24 h. RESULTS: ICCB treatment significantly improved neurological function, reduced cerebral infarct volume and brain water content, and mitigated pathological damage in the cortical and hippocampal CA1 regions of rats subjected to CIRI (all P<0.05). ICCB promoted the transition of cortical microglia from M1 to M2 phenotypes and suppressed NLRP3 activation in microglial cells (all P<0.01). ICCB significantly down-regulated the expression of NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1 proteins, and reduced the secretion of IL-18 and IL-1β in BV2 cells of OGD/R model (all P<0.01). In addition, Nigericin significantly reversed the salvage effect of ICCB on model cells (both P<0.01) and the modulation of inflammatory cytokines (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS ICCB exerts a protective effect against CIRI by mitigating neuroinflammation, through the reduction of M1 microglial polarization, promotion of M2 conversion, and suppression of the NLRP3/ASC/caspase-1 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury/prevention & control* ; Microglia/metabolism* ; Rats ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein ; Brain Ischemia/metabolism* ; Male

Objective: To explore the association between maternal lipid levels during pregnancy and the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring at 3 years of age, providing scientific evidences for the prevention and control of childhood obesity. Methods: A total of 2 432 mother-child pairs with maternal lipid tests during pregnancy and offspring s physical growth data at 3 years of age were included from the Borin in Guangzhou Cohort Study up to September 2021. Lipid indicators, including high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TC), were measured at 13-19 +6 weeks (mid pregnancy) and 32-39 +6 weeks (late pregnancy). Children s body mass index (BMI) Z score were calculated according to the World Health Organization s growth standards for children under 5 years old. The lipid Z score were divided into four quartiles: Q 1, Q 2, Q 3 and Q 4. Linear regression was used to analyze the relationship between maternal lipid levels during pregnancy and offspring’s BMI Z score at 3 years of age. Poisson regression with a robust error variance was employed to evaluate the association between maternal lipid levels during pregnancy and the at risk of overweight and obesity in offspring at 3 years of age, after adjusting for maternal age at conception, education level, parity, pre pregnancy BMI and gestational diabetes mellitus. Results: There was a statistically significnt difference in the detection rate of overweight and obesity risk among children with different mothers s pre pregnancy BMI ( χ 2=22.85, P <0.05). Linear regression analysis showed that TG levels in late pregnancy were positively related to BMI Z score ( β=0.10, 95%CI=0.02-0.18, P <0.05). Poisson regression with a robust error variance indicated that, compared with the Q 1 group of TC, the Q 4 group of TC in mid pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of overweight and obesity in offspring at 3 years of age ( RR=1.59, 95%CI =1.04-2.44); compared with the Q 1 group of TG, the Q 4 group of TG during late pregnancy increased the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring at 3 years of age ( RR=1.79, 95%CI =1.02-3.12) (both P <0.05). Conclusions Maternal serum TC level during mid pregnancy can increase the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring at 3 years of age. Maternal serum TG levels during late pregnancy is positively correlated with BMI and the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring at 3 years of age.

Vascular aging (VA) is a common etiology of various chronic diseases and represents a major public health concern. Intermittent hypoxia (IH) associated with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a primary pathological and physiological driver of OSAHS-induced systemic complications. A substantial proportion of OSAHS patients, estimated to be between 40% and 80%, have comorbidities such as hypertension, heart failure, coronary artery disease, pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, aneurysm, and stroke, all of which are closely associated with VA. This review examines the molecular and cellular features common to both OSAHS and VA, highlighting decreased melatonin secretion, impaired autophagy, increased apoptosis, increased inflammation and pyroptosis, increased oxidative stress, accelerated telomere shortening, accelerated stem cell depletion, metabolic disorders, imbalanced protein homeostasis, epigenetic alterations, and dysregulated neurohormonal signaling. The accumulation and combination of these features may underlie the pathophysiological link between OSAHS and VA, but the exact mechanisms by which OSAHS affects VA may require further investigation. Taken together, these findings suggest that OSAHS may serve as a novel risk factor for VA and related vascular disorders, and that targeting these features may offer therapeutic potential to mitigate the vascular risks associated with OSAHS.
Humans ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/pathology* ; Aging/physiology* ; Oxidative Stress/physiology* ; Animals

Hyssopus cuspidatus is an authentic medicinal herb used in Xinjiang， rich in the chemical constituents including flavonoids， phenolic acids and terpenoids. It possesses anti-inflammatory， antioxidant， and immunomodulatory effects. Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated that H. cuspidatus exerts therapeutic effects on asthma by inhibiting airway inflammatory responses， suppressing airway remodeling， modulating the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis， and relaxing bronchial smooth muscle. It also demonstrates intervention effects on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by reducing levels of inflammatory cytokines and regulating immune balance. Additionally， H. cuspidatus can mitigate acute lung injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and intervene in lung cancer by suppressing proliferation and promoting apoptosis of lung cancer cells. In terms of clinical application， compound preparations containing H. cuspidatus， such as Hanchuan zupa granules and Luo’ou kezupa， have demonstrated favorable therapeutic effects on pulmonary diseases including asthma， cough， and pediatric bronchopneumonia. Currently， the research on precise action targets and compound matching rules of H. cuspidatus remains inadequate. Future studies should integrate modern technologies such as metabolomics to conduct in-depth exploration， thereby promoting the modernized development and clinical application of this traditional medicinal herb.

Apical microsurgery is accurate and minimally invasive, produces few complications, and has a success rate of more than 90%. However, due to the lack of awareness and understanding of apical microsurgery by dental general practitioners and even endodontists, many clinical problems remain to be overcome. The consensus has gathered well-known domestic experts to hold a series of special discussions and reached the consensus. This document specifies the indications, contraindications, preoperative preparations, operational procedures, complication prevention measures, and efficacy evaluation of apical microsurgery and is applicable to dentists who perform apical microsurgery after systematic training.
Microsurgery/standards* ; Humans ; Apicoectomy ; Contraindications, Procedure ; Tooth Apex/diagnostic imaging* ; Postoperative Complications/prevention & control* ; Consensus ; Treatment Outcome

Pulpotomy, which belongs to vital pulp therapy, has become a strategy for managing pulpitis in recent decades. This minimally invasive treatment reflects the recognition of preserving healthy dental pulp and optimizing long-term patient-centered outcomes. Pulpotomy is categorized into partial pulpotomy (PP), the removal of a partial segment of the coronal pulp tissue, and full pulpotomy (FP), the removal of whole coronal pulp, which is followed by applying the biomaterials onto the remaining pulp tissue and ultimately restoring the tooth. Procedural decisions for the amount of pulp tissue removal or retention depend on the diagnostic of pulp vitality, the overall treatment plan, the patient's general health status, and pulp inflammation reassessment during operation. This statement represents the consensus of an expert committee convened by the Society of Cariology and Endodontics, Chinese Stomatological Association. It addresses the current evidence to support the application of pulpotomy as a potential alternative to root canal treatment (RCT) on mature permanent teeth with pulpitis from a biological basis, the development of capping biomaterial, and the diagnostic considerations to evidence-based medicine. This expert statement intends to provide a clinical protocol of pulpotomy, which facilitates practitioners in choosing the optimal procedure and increasing their confidence in this rapidly evolving field.
Humans ; Calcium Compounds/therapeutic use* ; Consensus ; Dental Pulp ; Dentition, Permanent ; Oxides/therapeutic use* ; Pulpitis/therapy* ; Pulpotomy/standards*

Nine novel compounds, comprising seven tetrahydroanthraquinones (auxarthrolones A-G, 1-7), a γ-butenolide glycoside (malfilamentoside E, 26), and a γ-butenolide (auxarthrolide A, 27), together with eighteen known compounds (8-25) were isolated from rice-based solid culture of Auxarthron umbrinum (A. umbrinum) DSM3193 using the one strain many compounds (OSMAC) approach. The structural elucidation of these compounds was accomplished through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS), and NMR calculation combined with DP4+ analysis or MAEΔΔδ parameter, while the absolute configurations of new compounds were established through single-crystal X-ray diffraction, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopic data analysis and/or chemical derivatization. Austrocortilutein (10) and auxarthrol H (14) demonstrated moderate cytotoxicity against U87 and U251 [half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) 3.5-12.1 μmol·L^-1]. Additionally, auxarthrolone A (1), auxarthrol H (14), eupolyphagin B (15), and 7-hydroxy-2-(2-hydroxypropyl)-5-methylchromone (17) exhibited torsional effects on fibroblast proliferation challenges induced by oleic acid, thus demonstrating fibroblast proliferation-promoting activity.
4-Butyrolactone/pharmacology* ; Molecular Structure ; Anthraquinones/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Animals ; Mice ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy